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The Prisoner
"The Uncertainty Machine" Part 4
The Prisoner: The Uncertainty Machine #4
Titan Comics
Writer: Peter Milligan
Original plot: David Leach
Artist: Colin Lorimer
Colorist: Joana Lafuente
Letterer: Simon Bowland
Cover: Colin Lorimer
September 2018 |
Agent Breen confronts the truth behind the Village.
Characters appearing or mentioned in this issue
Agent Breen (Number 6, also called Number 0 by Carey)
Agent Carey (the new Number 2, dies in this issue...but not)
Number 1
Mr. Smith
George
Section (name revealed to be Sir Reginald Smythe)
Didja Know?
The Titan Comics version of The Prisoner is a comic
book mini-series reimagining of
the classic 1967 TV series of the same name.
Didja Notice?
On the "Information is power" page that recaps the previous
issue, the VR manipulation that Breen was subjected to by the
Village is referred to as "mind-fracking" technology. "Fracking"
is a means of extracting oil and gas from the ground, so in this
case, the Village is extracting (or attempting to) information
from Breen.
"Mind-fracking" may well also be a reference to the expletive
"frak" or "frack" in
Battlestar Galactica, it being the series' version of
"fuck"; so, Breen has been "mind-fucked".
When the new Number 2 (Carey) is killed in her Village office, a
message tube is received stating her employment is terminated,
"signed" by Number One Solutions, 55 Twyford Place EC1. There
are several businesses going by the name
Number One Solutions around the English-speaking world, but the
one here is fictitious. The street address is a real one in
London, England;
the EC1 at the end of the address is a postcode in that area of
London.
On page 6, Breen steps outside of a gigantic sphere, having
followed Carey's dying words on how to get out. Outside, he
finds three unattended vehicles available to him. One is the
classic
Lotus Seven driven by Number 6 in the original
1967 TV series. Another is a
Mini-Moke, the passenger vehicles largely used throughout the
Village. The last is an Austin Princess Limousine Hearse, the
same model that stalked Number 6 to his home after his
resignation at the beginning of
"Arrival" in in the original 1967 TV series.
Appropriately, Breen chooses the Lotus.
The top panel of page 8
presents an aerial view of London that appears to be
above
Trafalgar Square. The
London
Eye is seen in the distance in the top left corner. |
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Driving back to London, Breen checks
into a cheap hotel near
Liverpool Street Station.
On page 8, Breen purchases a Glock 26 pistol. This is a real
world subcompact pistol introduced by
Glock in
1997.
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On page 9, Breen reaches the building housing Number One
Solutions. A sign on the front of the building lists all
of the businesses inside. Several of them refer to
creators of this comic book: Lafuente Lights (colorist Joana Lafuente),
Lovely Leach, Inc. (editor David Leach), Lorimer's
Leathers (artist Colin Lorimer), and Milligan and M'Lady
(writer Peter Milligan). Mark E. Smith may refer to the
punk rock English singer/songwriter. I'm not sure what
"Megan and Mason" may refer to. |
As he enters the
Number One Solutions
building, Breen uses a sama vritti breathing
technique to keep his heart rate steady.
Sama vritti is a breathing technique of Hatha
yoga in which inhalation and exhalation each last the same
amount of time, meant to be calming and centering.
On page 10, panel 2, Mr. Smith is seen to have a black-and-white
photo portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on his wall.
On page 14, Number 1 is revealed to be IBM Electronic
Calculation Punch Machine Number One. "The ultimate and biggest
punch card machine in the world," according to Mr. Smith.
IBM
is an international computer manufacturer founded in 1911.
On page 15, a number of
protest/political slogans are seen on a potpourri of hand-held
demonstrator signs. Many of these are slogans that have been
used in the real world: "TRUMP: MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN", "END
THE WAR BEFORE IT ENDS YOU", "DIGNITY, RESPECT, AND JUSTICE FOR
ALL", "SMASH THE SYSTEM", "BREXIT IS RACIST".
On page 16, panel 3, Breen is walking through the file archive
seen in the opening titles of the
original 1967 TV series.
Breen becomes the new Number 2 at the end of the story.
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Prisoner Episode Studies